On the morning of the fourth day of the eighth month of the sixty-third year of the Taihe reign, His Majesty Tantai Tianming proclaimed to the world a grand welcome to the retired Emperor and Princess Tantai Youyou upon their return home.
The news spread like wildfire throughout the capital, instantly shocking the entire court and the public.
Everyone is speculating about why the retired emperor came back to life.
And why is the long-lost eldest princess with the retired emperor?
Before those powerful clans could figure out how to deal with the retired emperor, the Prince of Zhennan, who held immense power in the court, announced that he had found his long-lost son and was preparing to bring his son and his family to the palace to meet the emperor.
This caused the major clans to become extremely uneasy. As everyone knows, the Prince of Zhennan's son had disappeared more than forty years ago. Even if his son were still alive, he would be an incompetent good-for-nothing. How could he possibly bring him to the capital to embarrass himself?
The fervor surrounding the high-profile kinship recognition between the royal family and the Helan family only intensified. The couple, Shen Yunsheng and his wife, were filled with worry at the thought of the difficulties they were about to face. As their carriage slowly approached the capital, they saw crowds of onlookers lining both sides of the road, all eager to catch a glimpse of the Emperor Emeritus and the Princess.
The capital of the Longhai Dynasty, in the direction of Xihua Gate.
His Majesty the current Emperor, Tantai Tianming, personally led civil and military officials to welcome the retired Emperor.
This unprecedented move shocked everyone.
The emperor personally went out to greet the retired emperor, a move that sparked various speculations about the relationship within the royal family.
Some believe that the return of the retired emperor means he will regain power; others say it is just a formality, and that real power is still in the hands of the emperor.
Rumors spread like wildfire, with some saying that the emperor was going to war with the Prince of Zhennan.
The people were filled with anxiety, unsure of whom to believe. Some worried that their lives would be affected and stockpiled food and supplies in preparation for any eventuality; others thought it was just a misunderstanding or the work of someone with ulterior motives.
However, these rumors did not last long.
When people saw the Emperor Emeritus and Prince Zhennan Helan Linfeng emerge from the van, all their doubts vanished.
They chatted and laughed together, appearing very close, as if they were old friends.
This scene made people realize that the previous rumors were nothing but nonsense.
Before the ministers could figure out what was going on, Xiao Jingchuan opened the driver's side door and quickly got out of the car.
Immediately afterwards, he opened the passenger door and helped his mother out of the car.
As Shen Yunsheng, who was sitting in the back seat, was about to get out of the car, her father-in-law grabbed her arm.
"Sheng, Sheng'er, I...I'm a little nervous."
Xiao Wenjing grew up in the countryside and had never seen such a large scene before. He trembled with fear when he saw that bright yellow figure.
Shen Yunsheng patted her father-in-law's hand and gently comforted him, "Father, don't be afraid, I'm here."
Shen Yunsheng slowly raised her head, gazing into the distance. Tantai Tianming was also staring at her, their eyes meeting. Tantai Tianming smiled and nodded gently, a hint of tenderness and affection in his eyes.
He had been looking forward to this day for a full ten years. He had once thought he would never have the chance to see his sister again in his life, but fate seemed to have smiled upon them, allowing the brother and sister to reunite.
After comforting her father-in-law, Shen Yunsheng helped him out of the car. Not long after, Xiao Wanqing and her daughter Xiao Xuemei also got out of the car.
Shen Yunsheng and Xiao Jingchuan exchanged a glance before leading the way to Tantai Tianming, where they bowed gracefully, saying, "Your subject greets Your Majesty."
Tantai Tianming quickly helped Shen Yunsheng up, his eyes filled with joy, "Royal sister, please rise quickly."
Upon seeing this, the surrounding ministers finally understood that the stunningly beautiful woman in white was none other than the long-lost princess.
Tantai Tianming gently took Shen Yunsheng's hand and announced to the crowd, "This is my younger sister. She was lost among the common people after saving me. Now that she has been found, I will make it up to her. You should respect her as you would respect me."
Upon hearing this, the courtiers immediately shouted, "Welcome back home, Princess!"
Although Shen Yunsheng hadn't regained her childhood memories, she still had some recollection of Tantai Tianming. Especially recently, familiar images had frequently surfaced in her mind, images that felt both familiar and perplexing.
Those scenes seemed to be telling her stories of the past, and one of the figures in them was Tantai Tianming. Every time that name rang in her ears, an indescribable feeling would well up in her heart, as if there was some special connection between them.
“Brother, Grandpa has also returned home. I am able to see you again thanks to Grandpa.”
Shen Yunsheng's gaze was fixed on her grandfather standing to the side. Sometimes, fate is truly wondrous. She never dreamed that the old man she picked up casually would be her biological grandfather.
Tantai Tianming nodded and immediately walked up to the retired emperor, kowtowing and performing a grand ceremony.
"Grandson welcomes His Majesty home."
The courtiers also knelt down and shouted, "Welcome back to the Emperor Emeritus!"
The older generation of ministers had all met the retired emperor; his familiar face was a symbol of his status, and no one dared to question it.
The retired emperor exchanged a few pleasantries with his grandson before allowing the officials to rise.
After Helan Linfeng and Shen Yunsheng finished their conversation, they had their family members perform the rites of respect between ruler and subject for Tantai Tianming.
Xiao Wenjing was afraid of saying the wrong thing, so he chose to remain silent until Tantai Tianming told them to rise, at which point he breathed a sigh of relief.
The Xiao Xuemei sisters were also very nervous. They stood close to Shen Yunsheng, afraid that they would make a mistake.
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